Chapter 33: Thorn Technique

"Crack!"

A sudden clap of thunder exploded.

The entire shantytown was enveloped in gray mist, the sky overcast with dark clouds, and pedestrians in the alleys gradually disappeared.

A sudden torrential rain began to descend upon Qingyang Market and the shantytown.

Splash, splash, splash! Qin Ming had just been focusing his attention, urging the withered black vine to ripen.

Startled by this sudden downpour, he took shelter under the eaves.

His gaze was fixed tightly on the withered black vine.

He saw that under the effect of the 【Ripening】 attribute, it began to grow slowly.

This was completely different from the frenzied speed of the spiritual plants he had ripened before.

Gradually.

The withered black vine grew three or four ink-colored vines, covered entirely in sharp thorns that emitted an enchanting black glow.

Just by looking, Qin Ming knew the thorns contained deadly poison! When the black vines grew to about ten feet long, they completely stopped growing.

Surprisingly, more than a dozen ink-colored flower buds formed on them.

Among them, two respectively popped out two golden attributes: 【Name】: Withered Blood Poison Vine 【Attribute】: Thorn Technique (Maturity 1%)

【Name】: Withered Blood Poison Vine 【Attribute】: Abundant Qi and Blood (Maturity 1%)

"Withered Blood Poison Vine?"

A trace of confusion flashed across Qin Ming's face; he had never seen this kind of spiritual plant in any spiritual plant book.

He immediately took out 'Shi Yenong', a first-generation spiritual plant master's, "Record of Strange Spiritual Plants" and began searching through it.

After a long while.

Qin Ming still could not find any clues about the 'Withered Blood Poison Vine' in the book.

"Could it be that even the spiritual plant master knows nothing of this vine?"

What surprised him even more was—

After using that 【Ripening】 attribute just now, it had merely caused this Withered Blood Poison Vine to bloom.

If this were a stalk of Golden Spirit Rice, it would likely be ready for harvest immediately.

One could imagine how long the maturation period of this Withered Blood Poison Vine must be.

But the two attributes that refreshed on it made Qin Ming itch with desire.

In his sea of consciousness, nine 【Ripening】 attributes remained.

Qin Ming gritted his teeth and used another 【Ripening】 attribute.

Time slowly passed.

The flower buds of that Withered Blood Poison Vine gradually bloomed in the heavy rain.

The black flowers appeared extremely enchanting, shaped like withered palms.

The next day.

The effect of one 【Ripening】 attribute was exhausted.

The maturity of the Withered Blood Poison Vine reached 20%.

"So gluttonous?"

Qin Ming was instantly shocked.

"It seems one ripening isn't enough."

"Increase the dosage!"

Qin Ming used the 【Ripening】 attribute again.

For seven consecutive days, Qin Ming slept neither ate nor rested.

After continuously using five 【Ripening】 attributes, he finally ripened the fruit of this Withered Blood Poison Vine.

More than a dozen blood-colored fruits, the size of walnuts, formed on it.

Qin Ming carefully picked these fruits.

Instantly, two green attribute leaves appeared in his sea of consciousness.

【Thorn Technique】: Casting requires spiritual plant seeds as a medium; they can be buried underground, and when passing demonic beasts or cultivators step on the seeds, they will be entangled by thorns.

Alternatively, the spiritual seeds can be thrown directly to trap enemies.

The spell's power depends on the spiritual plant seeds; the more powerful the spiritual seed, the better the casting effect.

"They even refresh as a set?"

Qin Ming looked at the Withered Blood Poison Vine fruits in his hand and casually broke one open.

He discovered the inside was filled with black spiritual seeds the size of sesame grains.

Just in this single opened fruit, there were twenty or thirty spiritual seeds.

With such a quantity of Withered Blood Poison Vine spiritual seeds, they would be enough for him to use for a long time.

Qin Ming immediately focused his mind on the 【Thorn Technique】 attribute.

A surge of spell knowledge filled his mind, and he quickly mastered this casting method.

"I need to find a place to practice." "After all, this black withered vine is impervious to water and fire, and immune to blades and spears."

"Furthermore, it carries deadly poison, so its power shouldn't be too poor, right?"

Thinking of this, Qin Ming.

Immediately shouldered his spiritual hoe and walked out of the room.

He dared not go too far.

In the forest near the spirit fields, he casually found a spot and concealed his figure.

Not long after.

A black-haired wild boar appeared within his line of sight.

It was leisurely rooting east and then west.

Qin Ming's eyes narrowed slightly.

He formed hand seals to cast the Thorn Technique, flicking a withered blood poison vine spirit seed from his hand toward that wild boar! Hiss! Suddenly, a large clump of black vines erupted beneath the boar's limbs, covered entirely in thorns, binding it tightly! The boar didn't even have time to shriek.

Black, bewitching poison thorns instantly pierced its thick, rough skin.

In an instant.

The wild boar's eyes turned white, immediately losing all vitality, as if its divine soul was being rapidly stripped away by some force.

It seemed frozen, motionless, emitting not a single struggle.

In merely two breaths' time.

The once-living wild boar had become a shriveled corpse.

Subsequently, that clump of black thorny vines receded rapidly, transforming into a dark red blood pearl that dropped to the ground.

A strange glint flashed in Qin Ming's eyes.

He reached out with a beckoning gesture, drawing that blood pearl into his hand.

Qin Ming swept his spiritual sense over the blood pearl and discovered that inside was not only the wild boar's entire essence blood, but its essence soul had also been imprisoned within.

"What use is this?"

Suddenly, a flash of inspiration struck his mind! Subconsciously, he recalled that withered blood poison vine planted in the flower bed.

"Could it be..."

After this test, Qin Ming was extremely excited.

He now had a renewed understanding of the Thorn Technique's power.

Although everything that happened just now occurred very quickly.

It was still captured by Qin Ming.

"The deadly poison of this withered blood poison vine seems capable of directly corroding the divine soul."

"This move is sufficient to become a trump card in the future!"

"Taken by surprise, even those in the late Qi Condensation stage would likely capsize in a gutter."

"Hehehe!"

Qin Ming returned to his room.

He placed the blood pearl obtained earlier near the withered blood poison vine.

As soon as the poison vine encountered the blood pearl, it seemed ravenous and unbearable.

Waving its vines, it coiled up the blood pearl.

Instantly digesting and absorbing it.

After doing all this, that withered blood poison vine returned to calm.

Its black poison thorns appeared even more bewitching.

"As expected, the Thorn Technique cast using the withered blood poison vine spirit seed."

"Is capable of replenishing this withered blood poison vine mother plant."

"Although five 【Ripen】 attributes were consumed, this wave was not a loss!"

At the same time.

Qin Ming could feel that the connection between himself and the poison vine in the ethereal realm had deepened another step.

This withered blood poison vine seemed to still possess great potential for growth.

Qin Ming was quite expectant regarding this.

He pondered for a while, considering his future plans.

Next, he prepared to ripen the Xue Huang Mi again; Qin Ming currently held two 【Quality Upgrade】 attributes in hand.

The taste of top-grade Xue Huang Mi.

He very much wanted to try it.

Just as Qin Ming was thinking, the communication talisman on his person stirred.

It was a message sent from the Steward Hall of the Lingyu Sect.

"Fellow Daoist Qin, you have cultivated three different types of first-tier middle-grade spirit plants this year, already meeting the qualifications to advance to a middle-grade spirit planter; if you have time, you may come to the Steward Hall once to participate in the assessment."

"Furthermore, the lease term for the Ruan Family Courtyard has expired; the restrictions have now been lifted, and Fellow Daoist Qin may move in at any time."

(End of Chapter)